Container



Aug. 15, 1933. J. p E A 1,922,605-

CONTAINER Filed Oct. 1950 I v 55 L /9 /NVEN7'0R- v 3 J. P. SHEAR ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 15, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 6, 1930. Serial No. 486,617

11 Claims.

This invention relates to ccntainers and more particularly to containers of the type used in handling factory materials.

An object of the invention is to provide a container which will be rigid, substantial and durable in construction and adapted to be readily and safely handled.

One embodiment of the invention contemplates the assembly of a rectangular box having corrugated walls, to each end of which is welded an inverted U-shaped member composed preferably of strap material. The upper end of the member is arranged with two inclined edges terminating in a V-shaped portion, and the lower ends of the member are bent upwardly from the bottom of the container at angles approximately those of the inclined edges of the V-shaped portion so as to automatically guide such a container being deposited as from an overhead crane, upon another and similar container and form a rigid stack.

The invention will be more readily understood by referring to the following detailed description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary end elevation of a container representing one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary reduced elevation showing three containers of the type shown in Fig. 1 in stacked relation.

Referring to the drawing, wherein similar parts are indicated by identical reference numerals, a typical container in which the invention is embodied consists of a rectangular box 10 having a pair of oppositely disposed rectangular sides 11-11 to which are welded or otherwise suitably joined rectangular and oppositely disposed ends 12-12. The sides and ends of the box are corrugated, having formed therein any desired number of parallel ribs 14, 14 positioned alternately with respect to any desired number of flat areas 15, 15. Each of the ends 12 at the upper edge thereof is folded back in angular fashion as shown at 16 in Fig. 2, and this expedient is also adopted in finishing the upper edge of the sides 11-11 in order to furnish a level and stiff edge for maintaining a desired rigidity in the assembled structure.

In order to form a bottom for the box 10, a flat rectangular plate 20 is welded to the lower edges of the sides and ends, and in order to provide a r substantial foundation for the box, a continuous channel member 21 extends around the periph cry of the plate 20, the bottom plate being welded to a continuous side 22 of the channel member.

One of a pair of U-shaped carrier members 23-23 is welded to each of the ends of the box and extends upwardly along the ends from the channel member 21, being welded at points 24, 24 to each of the ribs 14 in the ends. 1 Each carrier member is preferably composed of any desired flat strap metal, although any material suitable for the purposes hereinafter brought out may be used, and extends upward beyond the box, the edges 01' the U-shaped member bein inclined to form a V-shaped portion 28. The carrier member is bent outward from the box at points 27 in order to cause it to diverge somewhat from the plane of the end 12. A short rod 18 is welded between each carrier member and inside of each angular edge 16 and assists in supporting the carrier member against lateral displacement. Each U-shaped carrier member is provided with a lower portion 29 which is welded to the continuous channel member at 30 and bent to project outwardly therefrom and upwardly in loop fashion, the up-turned portions thereof being inclined toward each other, as shown. The portion 29 is then bent inwardly at 31 in order to permit an extreme end 33 thereof to be welded to the box end 12 atthe lower most fiat area 15. In Figs. 1 and 3 it may be observed that the inclination: or slant of outer edges 34 of the V-shaped portion 26 is similar to the inclination of inner edges 35 of the upturned portion 29 in order to permit them to substantially coincide when one container 10 described is stacked upon a similar container as shown in Fig. 3.

In order to strengthen the bottom and support the structure as a whole, any desired number of cross bars 3'1, 3'! (Fig. 2) are extended across the box 10 from side to side thereof, being welded to the lower surface of the bottom plate at spaced points 33, 38.

In handling shop material, raw material, complete or unfinished parts, containers must ire quently be shifted from point to point through out the plant, and upon arriving at certain stations are required to be there positioned. Unless the containers are of a construction which will permit their being stacked one upon the other, considerable floor space is necessary for their accomodation in quantities. By inclining the upwardly bent portions of the lower part 29 of the U-shaped members toward each other so 1 container.

shaped portions 26 are bent outwardly from the ends of the container at 2'7, the carrying members that inner inclined edges 35 thereof are parallel with the outer inclined edges 34 of the upper V-shaped portion, stacking of a number of the containers described in a safe manner is greatly facilitated. When it is desired to stack a second container upon another and previously positioned container (Fig.3), as by an overhead crane (not shown) the crane operator or other controlling workman may approximately position the second container above the positioned container so that the lower portion 29 of the U- shaped members of the second container extends overthe inclined edges 34-34 of the positioned Then, due to the fact that the V- of the positioned container engage the ends of the second container to position them directly above the ends of the positioned container as the operator lowers the second container. The operator then lowers the second container further, and the projecting V-shaped portion of the positioned container cooperates with the inclined edges 35 of the second container, the respective edges 34 and 35 meeting with a camming action to automatically guide or slide the second container into its correct position on the positioned container, in which the sides also of the second container are directly above the sides of the positioned container. The two containers are thus guided endwise and sidewise to correspond in position, and rest evenly one upon the other.

The containers constructed in accordance with the foregoing description may therefore be easily moved, lifted and deposited, the V-shaped portion being used as a grapple means by an overhead crane, and any number of them may be readily stacked one upon the other by said crane or other lifting means. By the camming action incident to the cooperation of the contacting surfaces, manual effort in the stacking of containers is reduced to a minimum, making such work more efiicient than heretofore and tending to eliminate personal hazards to workmen entirely.

What is claimed is:

1. An article of manufacture consisting of a box, a V-shaped portion at anupper end of the box for facilitating the handling thereof, and projections therebeneath having an inclination corresponding to the V-shaped portion and adapted to cooperate with a portion on another box identical with the V-shaped portion for accelerating the stacking of the boxes.

2. An article of manufacture consisting of a box, and a member thereon provided with a V- shaped portion for facilitating the handling of the box and having oppositely disposed projections inclined to correspond to the V-shaped portion for cooperation with a similar member on another box to accelerate the stacking of the boxes.

3. An article of. manufacture consisting of a box, and a pair of oppositely disposed members aflixed thereto, each provided with a V-shaped portion for facilitating the handling of the box and having projections inclined to correspond to the V-shaped portion for cooperation with similar members on other boxes for accelerating the stacking of the boxes.

4. In an article of manufacture, a rectangular box comprising a pair of corrugated ends, corrugated sides secured thereto and a rectangular bottom welded to the ends and sides, a continuous channel member welded to the bottom and extending substantially entirely around the periphery thereof, a U-shaped member welded to each of the ends and to the channel member, the upper part of each U-shaped member being inclined and the lower part thereof being turned upwardly and inclined to be parallel with the upper portion.

5. In an article of manufacture, a rectangular box comprising a pair of corrugated ends, corrugated sides secured thereto and a rectangular bottom welded to the ends and sides, a continuous channel member welded to the bottom and extending substantially entirely around the periphery thereof, a U-shaped member welded to the channel member, the upper part of the U- shaped member being inclined and the lower part thereof being turned upwardly and inclined to be parallel with the upper portion.

6. An article of manufacture consisting of a box, and a carrying member formed with a V- shaped portion and provided with projections substantially parallel to the sides of the V-shaped portion, the said member mounted on the box to facilitate handling and to cooperate with an identical carrying member on another box to accelerate stacking.

7; An article of. manufacture consisting of. a box, oppositely disposed carrying members, each having a V-shaped portion at one end and provided at an opposite end with projections substantially parallel to the sides of the V-shaped portion, the members mounted on the box to facilitate handling and to cooperate with identical carrying members on other boxes to accelerate stacking.

8. In an article of manufacture, a box and a carrying and positioning member secured thereto having an inclined upper portion and a lower portion which is turned and inclined to be parallel with the upper portion to cooperate with a carrying and positioning member of a similar box to facilitate stacking.

9. In an article of manufacture, a box and a U- shaped carrying and positioning member secured thereto having an inclined upper portion and a lower portion which is turned and inclined to be parallel with the upper portion to cooperate with a carrying and positioning member of a similar box to facilitate stacking.

10. In an article of manufacture, a box and a pair of U-shaped carrying and positioning members secured to opposite ends thereof, each of the U-shaped members having an inclined upper portion and a lower portion which is turned and inclined to be parallel with the upper portion to cooperate with carrying and positioning members of similar boxes to facilitate stacking.

11. In an article of manufacture, a box and a member secured thereto having an inclined upper portion and a lower portion which is turned and inclined to be parallel with the upper portion to cooperate with the lower and upper portions, respectively, of members carried by similar boxes to facilitate stacking.

JAY P. SPEAR. 

